The NBA

Cool HeadTerry Porter has rallied the Bucks by preaching patience, not panic

On 6'10", 240-pound Dwight Howard of Southwest Atlanta Christian High, the likely No. 1 pick in the June 24 draft:

Go in Style?Serena and Venus Williams could retire today with heads held high

Since the beginning of 2002 Serena and Venus Williams have pulled out of a total of 33 tournaments they had agreed to play in, giving a variety of reasons that ranged from injury to illness to...

Have the tennis fortunes of a country ever changed as dramatically as Sweden's? The axis of Bjorn Borg, Mats Wilander and Stefan Edberg accounted for 24 Grand Slam singles titles from 1974 to '92....

Wright On!Winky Wright unified the 154-pound crown with a win over Shane Mosley

Joe Mesi (above, left) did not announce himself as the savior of the heavyweight division, even though he remains undefeated after surviving former cruiserweight Vassiliy Jirov last Saturday. Mesi...

Are you in one or those moods that make you want to knock off every hat you see? Drop stones in blind men's cups? Answer every "Good morning!" with a "Says who?"

Wolves at the DoorThe Twin Cities sports sections are saying Kevin Garnett would only pose for your cover if you included Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell (Three for All, March 1). In a league...

LETTERS•Please e-mail us at letters@si.timeinc.com or fax us at 212-467-4049. Letters should include the writer's full name, address and home telephone number and may be edited for clarity and space.

Being Grant Paulsen is more than just shoulder chucks from MJ and bear hugs from LL Cool J and red carpets that lead to green rooms that he'll share with the stars of Sex and the City.

"The coach was worried a win would draw attention from the dire situation his players face."—LONG AND WINDINGROAD TRIP, PAGE 24

With its country in turmoil, Haiti's soccer team tries to stay in the game

20Margin of victory for Xavier over Saint Joseph's in the Atlantic 10 basketball tournament last Thursday, the largest ever for an unranked team over a No. 1 opponent.

Walter Bingham remembers SI's first managing editor

WonThe World Cup overall title, in his first full season since returning from an accident that nearly cost him a leg, Hermann Maier. In August 2001 a car hit Maier as he rode his motorcycle in his...

Traded

Padres pitcher and rocket scientist Jason Szuminski, 25, is trying to become the majors' first MIT grad. How is he doing? SI's Szuminskimeter tells all.

Just came from NASCAR 3D: The IMAX Experience. Talk about realistic! You're only allowed to go to the men's room when they're running under yellow.

The world's foremost mentalist (in December he predicted Howard Dean would not be the Democratic nominee) foretells our sporting future.

We all know that Janet Jackson won't be allowed anywhere near an NFL-sanctioned stage in the near future. Now no one will. Due to the continued fallout from Janetgate, the NFL canceled its annual...

No, it's not a remake of Plan 9 from Outer Space, but these earthlings watching the giant slalom competition at the Alpine Skiing World Cup finals in Sestriere, Italy, last Saturday did have a...

The Braves will have a Lexus-only parking lot at Turner Field this year.

ED MCCAFFREYRecently retired Broncos wide receiver, on spending more time with his wife: "Coach Lisa can be a lot tougher than coach (Mike) Shanahan. She's got a bigger playbook and an earlier...

WHAT TO WATCH AND WATCH FOR

•BLEEP THISLast month, in the wake of the Super Bowl halftime fiasco, NASCAR president Mike Helton warned drivers about their language. Busch Series driver Johnny Sauter didn't listen. He uttered...

Pete Carothers, CINCINNATISwimmingPete, a senior at St. Xavier High, led the Bombers to their sixth consecutive Ohio Division I championship, winning his third title in the 100-yard butterfly as...

To submit a candidate for Faces in the Crowd, go to SI.com/faces.

Never mind the Twins, Vikings, T-Wolves and Wild—there's nothing in Minnesota to match the state hockey tournament

For more about sports in Minnesota and the other 49 states, go to si.com/50.

The SI columnist grew up in the Land of 10,000 Kinds of Hockey

Minnesotans weigh in on sports*

To read an SI Flashback story about Minnesota's 1991 World Series win; view every Timberwolves, Twins and Vikings cover; or brush up on Gopher State sports trivia, go to...

Juggling his appearances in court with those on the court, Kobe Bryant is playing some of the best basketball of his NBA career

The latest NBA news plus analysis from Jack McCallum at si.com/basketball.

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Catch the latest NCAA tournament news, plus bracket breakdowns and on-the-scene analysis from SI's experts, at si.com/basketball/college.

Atlanta's new outfielder has spent his career fighting injuries, insults and those who say his religious devotion keeps him from stardom

More baseball coverage, including news, scores, stats and Torn Verducci's weekly Inside Baseball column, at si.com/baseball.

Look for these players, injured last season, to have big years

After another horrific on-the-ice attack, the NHL has to clean the violence from its game or slide into oblivion

Down and DirtyTigers first baseman Greg Norton gets some grit in his grill while being tagged out by Expos third baseman Vince Rooi in an exhibition game in Lakeland, Fla. The Tigers spent a lot...

With ratings sinking, the NHL prepares to take a hit as it renegotiates its TV contract

They may be stars or sixth men, but when everything's on the line in the NCAAs, they lift their teams with streak shooting, a key steal, a timely swat. Who'll they be this year?

Here are a half-dozen offensive firecrackers who could go off—and shoot their teams to the top

Here's SI's theory on which style of offense might give teams the best chance to advance

A fast look at who's hot and who's not as the Big Dance begins

For the first time in years there's no dominant team—which opens the door for Duke and Texas to make their move

Here are five intriguing matchups to watch.

SI's Complete Bracket Breakdown

Compare your brackets with SI's college hoops experts' at si.com/basketball/ncaa.

In an adventure too improbable for him to have even imagined, American Tim Howard has emerged as a star in goal for soccer's most fabled club

Grant Wahl's Inside U.S. Soccer and complete coverage on the sport, at si.com/soccer.

Pitcher Kazuhiro Sasaki left the Seattle Mariners and returned home to play in Japan. Surprising? Not at all. Many of his countrymen have found life in the major leagues much tougher than they...